Practice the “don’t know mind” also called an open mind and opposite of "mindset" How often do we say: “ I know or I don’t believe in that, or I believe in this” We are making these statements very often even if we have no clue or understanding. “I don’t believe that climate […]
The 7wonders of the world We are in a classroom, somewhere, sometime. The history & geography teacher has decided to test the general knowledge of the students and invited the parents to join the discussion. The question is the following What are the 7 human-made wonders of the world and not the Nature- based […]
How does mindfulness help us in a time of personal crisis? By Caryl and Harish Verma. Thanks to them. The dictionary defines crisis as a turning point. It can be for the better, such as winning the lottery, or for worse, as in, losing a loved one. Mindfulness prepares us with coping skills that enable […]
Ignore ignorance will cause suffering There is a big difference between ignorance in its common sense and its meaning in Zen Buddhist sense. In the common sense of the word, ignorance is being unaware, lacking in general knowledge or understanding. This common kind of ignorance lead to division, discrimination, derision, hate and conflict when […]
The mind watcher In this talk, brain and mind form a single entity. Using a computer as analogy the brain is the hardware and the mind the software until science will prove otherwise. Brain-mind is a biocomputer in which the electrical current is made of ions. In the following, I will use only the […]
Are you “awake” or close to “awakening”? Please note: This is a very rough, non-scientific and limited “awakening inventory” that may help you or not to assess your journey. . Each sentence may be seen as a marker as where you stand. This is art 1 of 2. Score the following statements as: Strongly disagree=1 […]
The Zen 3 seals 1) Impermanence: While dying the Buddha was asked by his head monk Ananda: “ What is the most important message from your 50 years of teaching?” He replied“ Everything is transient. Live your life accordingly” Indeed, nothing lasts, everything is changing non-stop. In fact, an […]
The four jewels or “divine states” The Buddha called the 4 jewels “divine states”. It’s important to understand that they are not emotions but rather daily attitude towards self and others. It takes practice and dedication to establish these 4 states of mind. One cannot simply make up in her/his mind that we will be kind, […]
The mirage of ongoing happiness You will never find the word happiness in Zen literature. It is a Western dream even included in the US Constitution. It is a positive emotion and, like any positive or negative emotions it comes and goes. I identify 2 types of happiness based on their origins external or […]
Taking your suffering for a walk Few years ago, my Zen Master Yangil Sunim (Sunim means teacher) asked me: “Ji Gong, how often do you practice suffering”. This is a classical Zen question and, like a Koan, it sounds incomprehensible, paradoxal, illogical and even stupid. The purpose of this kind of questions is to […]
